There's nothing new in the Vatican's 7 May document on translating liturgical texts, according to the National Liturgical Commission's executive secretary, Fr Peter Williams.

"There was nothing at all in it which might have caused me to say, 'O my gosh'," he told The Catholic Leader.

The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments released the instruction titled Liturgium Authenticum ('The Authentic Liturgy') and subtitled in English On the Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publications of the Books of the Roman Liturgy.

It describes the new rools as setting the stage "for a new era of liturgical renewal" and says the Vatican "will be involved more directly" in preparing translations into major languages.

But Fr Williams said everything in the instruction had been said in previous documents.

"It will have no effect on current approved translations," he said. "It will have implications for future vernacular translations in all languages."